I love hearing birth stories, and I love sharing mine! It’s kinda long, fyi.

I was due with my first baby July 22. I was nervous, excited and scared to deliver and to be a mom. My DD came and passed like any other day. My OB asked at both my 39 week and 40 week appointments if I wanted to be induced and I told her no. I didn’t want to be induced due to the higher risk of c-section and not being able to leave the bed. She understood my wishes but told me if I made it to my 41 week appointment we would schedule one for that week. Fair enough, I thought.

Well week 40 kinda drags along, contractions every evening but nothing consistent. In the middle of summer, in Nevada 100+ degree weather I was getting pretty miserable. I was trying every natural method to induce labor on its own.. pineapple, spicy foods, etc. and nothing happened. On 40w+5days I decided to take 2tbsp of castor oil. I read and did a lot of research before making my decision to try it. After taking it I walked for close to an hour trying to try and help my baby drop. It got dark so I went inside and then it hit me. Oh shit. Literally. The great laxative side effect of castor oil started, along with contractions. I was nervous thinking could this really be it? I timed them, they were coming every 2-3 minutes. Wait. 2-3 minutes? Isn’t that like when I should be at the hospital?

Then the breakdown happened. My husband works out of town 3 hours away and only comes home on his days off. I was so scared that he wasn’t going to be there for our daughter to be born. It’s around 10pm by now. I call my mom to tell her what is going on and she suggests maybe it is time to go. I agree to go in, get checked and decide if I should call the hubby. I grab my bags, she picks me up and arrive just a couple minutes later. I get checked into a room and hooked up to the monitors. I am checked and at 3cm and maybe 30% effaced (which is the same as my appointment 4 days earlier.) they could see my consistent contractions and said they will keep me for an hour and recheck. During the hour my contractions slow to every 5-7 minutes. I am rechecked and still the same so they decide to send me home. They told me to get some rest and come back if I start bleeding, my water breaks or my contractions get very painful. (The contractions I was having were uncomfortable, but not painful)

I get home around 1am and they are slowed to every 10 minutes. I was able to fall asleep. I woke ups few hours later and was still having contractions every 10 minutes. Still not painful, but consistent. I texted the hubby to tell him what was going on. After his night shift he decided to come home just in case. That whole day and night they stayed 10 minutes apart and not painful. The following morning (41w+1d) they started to come closer about 8 minutes apart, still not painful. The hubby and I take our Jeep out to the desert to bounce around and enjoy some just us time together. During our ride they become slightly painful but very manageable, but closer around 6 minutes. I suggest when we get home to maybe go back to L&D. We get home and I wait about 3 more hours before deciding to go in. By that time I was breathing through the contractions, but still able to manage them. The nurse checks me in and gets me hooked up. She asked if I was planning on an epidural and I replied no. “Let me know if you change your mind, I’m not sure who would want to go through this without one!” She checks me. “You’re at 8cm, you’re having your baby today! You are doing amazing being this far with no meds!” The only thing out of my mouth was “Holy shit!” My husband, the nurse and I all laughed. I called my mom and sister and said it is time to head to the hospital.

Doc comes in 10 minutes later to check and confirms me being 8cm. They get my IV hooked up and asked again about an epidural and I still denied being I wasn’t in that much pain. It’s around 4pm by now. My sister and mom are there and we are all just hanging out having a few good laughs to take my mind off of the contractions. They got a bit intense so I asked for IV pain meds. My OB comes back and decides to break my water to moves things along faster. Then it got real. The pain was much more intense. I was contemplating the epidural at that point. My nurse comes back in around 6pm. She wanted me to try the peanut ball and as soon as I switched to my side I said (probably screamed) “No! No! I can’t!” She checks and I am fully dilated but not completely effaced. She asked if I wanted to push during contractions while she tries to get me completely effaced. That helped A TON! Not long after comes the exorcist scream (or so my husband says). The other nurse calls the OB in. I am told not to push during contractions because she is right there and the OB is on his way. It was the unbearable not being able to push. I was literally flopping like a fish out of water trying my hardest not to scream and to breathe.

Doc arrives about 10 minutes later, gets gowned up and I can FINALLY start pushing again. Here comes that ring of fire everyone talked about, definitely real lol! The doc asked if I wanted to see my baby as she was right there. “No! I just want her out!!” I most screamed. After about 15 minutes of pushing my baby girl was born.

My OB was soooo patient with me. He helped stretch me so I didn’t tear, and was a great coach. The nurse was amazing! She was so polite, attentive and caring. But most of all my amazing husband was by far the best support I had. He kept me calm and laughing during labor. He held my hand and head during delivery. And just overall kept me going when I didn’t think I could do it anymore.

Here is my baby girl, Paislee Anne Smith. Born Monday July 30, 2018 at 6:48pm. 7lbs 2oz and 20 inches long. She was born on her great grandmothers birthday who just passed a few weeks earlier. It was a blessing for her to come that day.

Two weeks old^

7 weeks^